With the advent of the modern computer input devices were invented to allow for the input of data, for example, early computer systems utilized punch cards to input data into the computer's memory. Although punch cards were effective at inputting data, a more simplified device was necessary, thus the modern keyboard was developed.
One of the most important factors contributing to the effective use of a computer is the interface between the computer and a person using it. Unquestionably the most popular computer interface device is the keyboard, which has a plurality of depressible keys each corresponding to a particular alphanumeric character, symbol, or computer function. While computer keyboards are widely accepted and quite suitable in many situations, keyboards are not always the most efficient, convenient, or easy to use devices.
A drawback of computer keyboards is that they include up to 110 individually marked keys mounted to a base with as many switches. All of these components must be produced and assembled, which accounts for considerable expense. Since keyboards are mechanical, are also more prone to failure than solid-state devices, additionally, due to the likelihood of failure, broken keyboards additionally present disposal problems. Further, the conventional keyboard cannot be quickly changed to a new keyboard layout, such as might be desired by those who have learned a keyboard layout other than the somewhat inefficient but traditional QWERTY layout.
Another drawback of computer keyboards is that they are built generally in one size for all users. As a result, users with relatively small or large hands must adapt to a keyboard size that is not optimal for their particular hand size. A person with smaller hands must stretch further to strike a key some distance from a home row of keys, whereas a person with larger hands will have a harder time accurately striking any desired key. Keyboard size that is optimized for a particular use may lead to decreased hand fatigue. However, keyboard manufacturers have determined an ergonomically acceptable compromise, which is a compromise nevertheless. Since keyboards are produced having only one size forces a user to type with his hands close together in an unnatural manner. It has been found that so called “split” keyboards, which are split into a separate keyboard for each hand, are more comfortable for the user and produce a slightly faster typing speed as a result. Additionally, as computers become more common in the workplace, a greater number of injuries have been reported due to utilizing a keyboard.
There have been attempts by various manufacturers to address the problems associated with mechanical keyboards. One such example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484, wherein there is described a finger mounted computer input device. The finger-mounted device utilizes a series of pressure sensors to determine a users hand movement which then corresponds to a key on a keyboard. A problem with this type of system is that the user must still physically interact with a surface to generate a signal. Additionally, the sensors are usually disposed on a glove, wherein the user wears the glove to utilize the system. A problem associated with glove-based systems is that the material from which the glove has been fabricated has a fatigue life, and therefore will eventually wear out from prolonged usage. Additionally, a user may experience discomfort from using these types of gloves in that they may perspire inside the glove. The perspiration may further lead to degradation of the glove.
Another example of a virtual keyboard are produced by www.vkb.co.il, www.canasta.com, and www.virtualdevices.net. These types of keyboards utilize an infrared projection system, wherein a keyboard is projected onto a surface and a sensor detects the position of a finger on top of the projected keyboard image. A problem with they types of keyboards is that you can only utilize the system on a smooth clean non-transparent steady surface, additionally, if you rest your hands within the projected keyboard the sensor may interpret this motion as keystrokes, thereby resulting in errors. Further still, since the keyboard is projected onto the surface, the user may experience light interference from surrounding light sources.
Lastly, with the resurgence in tablet type computers having pressure sensitive screens, Microsoft® has released an on-screen keyboard in their latest version of Windows® that enables a user to utilize their fingers or a stylus to input data.
While each of these systems are a novel approach to overcoming the dependence on a physical keyboard, there are still shortcomings. Namely, each of the systems require the user to either be physically tethered to a computer, where pressure sensitive devices that must be depressed on a surface or find a smooth surface to set up a virtual keyboard. Additionally, these devices do not allow a user to customize the layout of the keyboard or adapt the keyboard to a users specific style of typing. In addition to being tethered to a computer, the use of physical input devices may cause injury to the user. For example, many claims are filed every year for repetitive stress injuries incurred from keyboard usage. Examples of common injuries are carpal tunnel syndrome, eye fatigue, neck and back strain, many of which are attributed to usage of a personal computer.
Attempts have been made to eliminate the use of a keyboard as an input device entirely. Many manufactures have attempted to produce voice recognition software systems, wherein a user could speak every command to a computer thereby eliminating the need for a physical or virtual keyboard. While this approach may be novel, presently voice recognition software has not advanced to the point of being reliable enough to replace a keyboard. In addition to requiring more hardware, a microphone, the voice recognition software is always running within a computer's operating system, thus requiring additional computing power. Also, voice recognition software must be custom tailored to each user's voice, inflections and/or accents, therefore once a system has been customized to an individual user other user's cannot readily utilize the system. Another shortcoming of voice recognition systems is that it is difficult to use voice recognition for editing, browsing the Internet, graphic design and similar input intensive programs. Additionally, constant talking may fatigue the user's voice, wherein the user's pitch and tone may change, thereby leading to additional input errors because the voice recognition software no longer recognizes the user's voice. Further still, voice recognition systems cannot be utilized in cubicle type work environments or similar “open” type environment where noise interference from other voices may confuse the voice recognition software.
Additional input devices may also be utilized in conjunction with keyboards. For example, pointing devices, such as “mouse” pointing devices and so called “track ball” devices are also popular computer interfaces. Generally, these types of devices provide velocity information, in both an X direction and an orthogonal Y direction, to the computer, as well as signals from one or more momentary contact push buttons. A pointing icon or other “tool” on a computer monitor responds to such velocity input by corresponding X and Y movement on the computer monitor. Graphics tablets are another type of “pointing” input device that provide the computer with X and Y positional information, as opposed to velocity information, which is used in much the same manner by the computer. Such devices are well suited for pointing to various software “push button” options on the screen, selecting portions of text or a group of software “objects,” freehand on-screen drawing, positioning a typing cursor location, and similar functions. However, such pointing devices are remarkably ill suited for text data input.
Other types of computer interfaces have been developed to overcome some of the above-mentioned drawbacks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,372 to Quick et al. on May 18, 1993, teaches a glove device that has sensors for measuring the curvature of each finger at joints thereof. For entering numerical data, a person using this type of device curves his fingers to point to “zones,” or virtual keys, that each represents a particular number. While the input of alphabetical data is mentioned in the Quick disclosure, only numerical zones are illustrated and it remains unclear how such a device could possibly be used to enter the twenty-six additional characters of the alphabet, especially since the little finger is used solely for designating an “enter” key and is therefore not available for pointing to alphanumeric zones.
A variety of similar glove-based prior art devices exist, and in most cases each uses some type of joint flexing sensor to determine finger curvature. Many such devices are designed for communication with deaf or otherwise challenged individuals, and typically provide for computer interpretation of alphanumeric data formed by a single hand with standard sign language. It is a slow and fatiguing process for people, even those fluent in sign language, to use such devices to enter a large amount of data into a computer, such as might be required while typing a patent disclosure, for example. Further, while finger curvature is relatively easy to detect in a variety of sophisticated ways, such detection is only accomplished in one dimension. Lateral movement of the finger, for example from the “J” key to the “H” key of a standard QWERTY keyboard, cannot be detected by such joint flexure sensors as disclosed in the prior art. This drawback is also evident in many “virtual reality” data manipulation gloves, which also include a variety of motion sensors on similar gloves. As a result, such devices have limited use and are not well suited for prolonged data entry from a wide selection of character and command keys, such as those found on the standard computer keyboard. As previously described, these gloves are generally fragile and are not constructed for constant everyday usage. Additionally, the gloves are particularly sensitive to moisture such as sweat from the users hands or a wet environment, wherein moisture may cause sensor problems or lead to eventual failure of the glove.
Therefore there is a need for a device that eliminates the shortcomings of the presently available input devices, wherein the device may be utilized by a user in any physical configuration without requiring the user to remain physically limited by the device. Such a needed device would be adaptable to any individual, regardless of hand size or typing style. Further, such a needed device could be used equally well for both alphanumeric data entry, command entry, and position/velocity input. Such a needed device would be to a large extent software re-configurable, making use of the device immensely flexible and adaptable. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent to those persons skilled in the art upon reading the details of the methods and systems of the present invention, which are more fully described below.